Valve-spring lifter



July 22, 1930. J. A. ANDERSON VALVE SPRING LIFTER I Filed May 14, 1928 gwumtoz MINI 21 .5, 2/ f if /5 Patented July 22, 1930 UNITED STATES JOHN A. ANDERSON, or BErneEroET, CCNNECTICUT, AssIeNonTo THEfisErneEroRT ARDWARE MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, oEtEEIne PoRT, CON ECTICUT, A

CORPORATION or CONNECTICU VALVE-SPRING LI TER Application filed May 14,

This invention relates to valve spring lifting tools such as are used for lifting orcompressing the valve springs of automobile engines to facilitate removal of the valve, and has forran object to provide a tool of this character which willbe very rigid when in use and will hold the spring compressed without danger, of yielding or giving away and permitting the spring-to expand during the operation on the valve with the consequent danger of injur to the operator. F

It is also ano ject of the invention to provide a tool of this character which may be more easily inserted between the spring and its abutment than tools now generally in use.

With the above and otherobjects in view,

theinvention consists in certain "novel fea,-

tures of construction, combinations andarrangements of parts which will be more fully described, a construction embodying this invention being shown in the accompanying drawing. Inthis drawing, Fig. 1 is atop plan view of a valvespring lifting tool embodying myinvention. I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation-thereof with a portion of one ofthe jaw elements broken away to more clearly show the construction. Fig. 3 is a detail section substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the aws in closed.

position. 7 r

Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of the device looking from the left of Fig. 2.-

5 is a top plan view of thejaw end of the device showing a slightly diiferent construction of jaws.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation ofthe form shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of the forward end of one of the handle levers showing the stop element carried thereby.

Fig. 8 is'a side elevation thereof looking from the bottom of Fig. 7 and showing the pivot pin in section, and

r Fig. 9 is a view similar to 8 showing a slightly different construction.

This tool, as illustrated comprises a pair of handle levers 10 and 11 which are pivoted together at 12, and it will be noted that these levers are curved sothat they do not cross at this pivot but extend away from each 1928. Serial No. 277,449.

PATENT 0pm;

other on opposite sides of the pivot. To the i freeendsof these levers opposite to the handles are pivoted forked jaws 13 and14, the j aw 13 being pivoted to the lever 10 'at 15, while the jaw 14 is pivoted to the lever 11 at "16. In order to strengthen the device it is preferred that the jaws be recessed at these pivots, as indicated at 17 to receive the ends of theirrespective levers, so that there will be bearings forthe pivot pins in the jaw structure-'onboth sides ofthe levers, Each jaw has a rearward'extension 18-which, projects beyond the pivot.12tothe opposite side thereofand are pivoted at 19Vto eachother be-v tween the handles. Itwill be apparent from this arrangementthat as the handles'of the levers 10 and 11 are forced together or:toward each other their opposite ends carrying the pivots 15'and'16 will separate'or move away from each other, carrying with them :the jaws 13 andla and swinging them about the pivot 19.; 'Thus'as the handles are forced together the jaws are separated, and-if they are first inserted between the lower end of a valve spring and its abutment they will liftone end of this spring and compress it.

Hitherto in this type of devices means have been provided for holding the jaws separated to prevent their collapsing under pressure of the Espring. These have commonly been forces are'imp'arted directly to thiscatch,

giving a. much more rigid and reliable construction. This arrangement comprises a catch lever, 20 mounted, on the pivot 16 for one of the jaws, preferably the, lower jaw. This lever extends. directly-across from the jaw'l l to the jaw 13 and has on its forward edge aplurality of stop shoulders 21, which may be provided by a series of notches in the edge of the lever. The jaw 13 carries adj acent its pivot 15 a stop element 22 adapted to cooperate with these stop shoulders or notches to hold the jaws separated under pressure of the spring being lifted. The lever 20 curves backwardly from the transverse portion thereof to provide an operating extension 23 extending toward the operating handles, and may have a finger or thumb lug 24 adjacent one of the handles where it is easily accessible for releasing this catch lever. A coil spring 25 is mounted on the pivot pin 16 and has its opposite free ends 26 and 27 engaging under the jaw 14 and the rear edge of the lever 20 respectively, to thus tend to swingthe lever 20 counterclockwise or to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, about its pivot 16 and retain its forward edge against the stop element 22, so that as the aws are operated to separate them the stop 22 will automatically engage one of the stop shoulders 21 to hold the jaws in the separated position as soon as the pressure on the handles is released. If it is desired to release the valve spring or permit the jaws to collapse or move together, all that is necessary is to force the handles together suificiently to release the pressure on the catch lever and then press down on the lug 24 which will swing this lever away from the stop element 22 and permit the jaws to move toward each other.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the stop element 22 is a pin mounted in the handle lever as shown more clearly and on a larger scale in Figs. 7 and 8. It may, however, be formed as a stop lug 22' integral with the lever if desired, as shown in Fig. 9.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the lower forked jaw 14 is extended at its free edge 28 beyond the free end 27 of the upper jaw, and the aw 14 is provided with a shoulder 30 spaced rearwardly from the free end 28 at substantially the distance of the free end 29 of the upper jaw as shown. The shoulder is of a height approximately equal to the thickness of the free end of the other jaw 13, so that when the jaws are together, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper surfaces thereof will be in substantially the same plane. It will thus be seen from an inspection of Fig. 3 that when in this position the jaws are in effect of a single thickness at their free end and have prac tically continuous surface leading from this free end on both the upper and lower sides thereof. It will be obvious that this greatly facilitates the insertion of the jaws between the end of the spring and its abutment in using the device. 1

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown a somewhat different construction of jaw especially adapted for use on certain types of valve springs in which it is not feasible to insert the jaw between the end of the spring and its abutment. The lower jaw 31 is straight while the upper jaw 32 has the portion 33 on one side of its notch 34 bent downwardly while the portion 35 on the other side of this notch is bent upwardly out of the plane of the jaw, so that these portions may be inserted between two adjacent convolutions of the spring, and when so inserted will follow approximately the curve of the convolutions and will seat firmly in the spring without danger of being forced out by camming action of the inclined portions of the spring.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the catch to hold the jaws separated against the pressure of the spring is located as near as possible in the direct line of its pressure and practically directly be tween the two jaws, so that the pressure is transmitted immediately and directly to the holding means, and there is very little tendency to twist the jaws out of position and there is nothing to spring or yield to cause the catch to give away and permit the jaws to collapse. It will also be apparent that the improved jaw construction illustrated will greatly facilitate insertion of the jaws between the spring and its abutment.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a valve spring lifter, a pair of handle levers pivoted together intermediate the ends thereo a pair of jaws pivoted to the respective free-ends thereof on'the opposite side of the pivot from the handles, a catch lever pivoted to one of said jaw pivots and provided with stop: shoulders, and cooperating stop means located adjacent the pivot for the other aw. I V

2. In a valve spring lifter, a pair of handle levers pivoted together,a pair of jaws pivoted one to each lever and arranged to separate as the handles are moved toward each other, a catch lever pivoted to one of the jaws adjacent the pivotal connection of said jaw to its lever and extending laterally therefrom to the other jaw, and cooperating means on the catch lever and closely adjacent the latter jaw to hold the jaws separated against pressure tending to force them together.

3. In a valve spring lifter, a pair of handle levers pivoted together, a pair of jaws pivoted one to each lever and arranged to separate as the handles are moved toward each other, a catch lever pivoted to one of said j aw pivots and extending laterally therefrom toward the other jaw, said catch lever being provided with a series of stop shoulders, and a stop lug mounted adjacent the pivot for the second lever and adaptedto cooperate with said shoulders to hold the jaws separated against pressure tending to move them together. V

4. In a valve spring lifter, a pair of handle levers pivoted together intermediate the ends thereof, a pair of jaws pivoted to the respective free ends thereof on the opposite side of the pivot from the handles, a catch lever piv oted to one of said jaw pivots and extending laterally therefrom toward the other jaw, said lever being provided with a series of stop shoulders and an operating extension extend ing toward the handles, and a stop lug adjacent the pivot for the second jaw adapted to cooperate with said stop shoulders to hold the jaws separated.

5. In a valve spring lifter,a pair of handle levers pivoted together intermediate their ends, a pair of opposed jaws pivoted one to each lever on the opposite side of the pivot from the handles and provided with exten sions pivoted together on the opposite side of the pivot between the handles, a catch lever pivoted on the pivot between one of saidjaws and its lever and extending laterally'therefrom toward the other jaw, said lever having a series of stop shoulders, a stop lug adjacent the pivot for the second jaw adapted to cooperate with said shoulders to hold the jaws separated, said lever being provided with an operating extension projecting toward said handles, and a spring tending to turn the catch lever on its pivot and hold'it against said lug.

6. In a valve spring lifter, a pair of handle levers pivoted together, a pair of jaws connected to the levers andarranged to be separated as the handles are moved toward each other, a stop lever extending between the jaws and pivoted directly to one of them, stop means on the lever and stop means closely adjacent the other jaw cooperating with the first stop means to hold the jaws separated, a

spring tending to operate the catch lever to hold said stop means in engagement, and means for operating the catch lever against the action of the spring. 7

7 In a valve spring lifter, a pair of handle levers pivoted together, a pair of forked jaws connected to the levers and arranged to be separated as the handles are moved toward each other, one of said jaws extending beyond the other jaw at its free end and provided with a recess spaced from its free end into which the end of the shorter jaw may seat when the jaws are closed together.

8. In a valve spring lifter, a pair of handle levers pivotedtogether, a pair of forked jaws connected to the levers and arranged to be separated as the handles are moved toward each other, one of said jaws being extended beyond the other jaw and provided with a shoulder spaced back'wardly from its free edge at substantially the distance of the free end of the second jaw from said edge, said shoulder being approximately the height of the thickness of the second jaw so that the two jaws form a substantially continuous surface when closed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature; 7

JOHN A. ANDERSON; 

